Armenia, Azerbaijan to discuss Karabakh issue at EaP summit

The Nagorno-Karabakh issue will be on the agenda of the Armenian and Azerbaijani participants of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) summit, the Russian news agency RIA Novosti reports, citing an EU representative.

Both countries are member states of the EU initiative for Eastern neighbors, together with Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

Commenting on the OSCE Minsk Group mission, which mediates the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the EU representative referred to France’s co-chairmanship as the only EU member state.

The source said that presidential or ministerial talks will be held on the sidelines of the summit, adding that it is one of the few processes in which the EU has no participation.

The Eastern Partnership summit is set to take place in Riga, Lithuania from May 21 to 22.

The sources added that the talks do not imply a change in the co-conflict settlement format, expressing hope that the US, French and Russian co-chairs will do all their utmost to achieve an outcome in the complicated process.